Offers are organized according to the issuing bank instead of the affiliated loyalty program, so be sure to scroll through the entire list.
- Read my warnings on maintaining a strong credit score before.
- Check the credit pulls database at CreditBoards.com.
Note that any small business or hobby from which you derive income can be used to open a business card. Apply with either your Social Security Number (SSN) or an Employer ID Number (EIN).
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed. This site may be compensated through some of the included links.
I describe many cards on this page, but you can compare all of their benefits and apply by clicking on the ad immediately below. This is the easiest way to apply for a new travel rewards card while supporting this website. Thank you!
Offers from Citi
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard®
Application Link: 30,000 miles after spending $1,000 in 3 months
The American Airlines Business AAdvantage program is great; now you can sign up for a business AAdvantage credit card, too. In addition to the bonus miles, get priority boarding and a free checked bag for a $95 annual fee, waived the first year.
- Designed for businesses with an established credit history
- Earn 30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of cardmembership*
- First eligible checked bag free for you and up to 4 traveling companions*
- Priority Boarding with Group 1 privileges*
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 you spend on eligible American Airlines purchases and on purchases at certain office supply, telecommunications and car rental merchants*
- 25% savings on eligible in-flight purchases
CitiBusiness ThankYouSM Card
Application Link: 15,000 points after spending $3,000 in 3 months
Earn 1 point per dollar on all purchases plus a bonus 2 points per dollar (3 points total) on purchases in rotating categories that change each quarter. There is no annual fee, and points can be redeemed for gift cards, travel, or cash back (1 cent per point).
- Designed for businesses with an established credit history
- Earn 15,000 bonus ThankYou(R) points after you make $3000 in purchases within 3 months of cardmembership – enough for $150 in gift cards
- 0% intro APR on Purchases for 6 months. After that, 13.24% variable
- Earn 3 ThankYou(R) points for every dollar you spend on eligible purchases in rotating business categories
- Redeem points on things for your business or for yourself like business supplies, merchandise, gift cards, travel or even cash
- No limit to the amount of points you can earn on purchases and points don’t expire
- No annual fee.*
Offers from American Express
Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card
Application Link: 25,000 points after spending $5,000 in 6 months.
You can transfer points to several airlines and get 25K miles for every 20K points. Cash+Points awards save money, plus you also get elite stay credit for award redemption. Get status faster with 2 stays and 5 nights credit just for being a card holder.
- Earn up to 25,000 Starpoints® – Receive 10,000 Starpoints after your first purchase, and another 15,000 bonus Starpoints when you spend $5,000 in 6 months – enough for up to 6 free nights at a Category 1 or 2 hotel.
- Get 1 Starpoint® for every dollar of eligible purchases.
- Redeem Starpoints at over 1,000 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries, and for flights on more than 350 airlines through SPG Flights. No blackout dates.
- $0 introductory annual fee the first year, then $65.
- Terms & Restrictions Apply
The Gold and Platinum products below earn Membership Rewards® points that you can transfer to partners including Delta, Hilton, Avios, Aeroplan, and SPG. Occasional transfer bonuses also exist.
Business Gold Rewards Card
Application Link: 50,000 points after spending $5,000 in 3 months.
The Business Gold Rewards card is a long-time favorite of frequent travelers because of the 3X bonus on all airfare, which is the highest travel rewards bonus of any business card product. However, the annual fee is higher than the Chase Ink Bold or Ink Plus.
- 3X points on airfare
- 2x points on purchases in the U.S. for advertising in select media, gasoline at U.S. stand-alone gas stations, and shipping
- 1X points on other purchases
- Points are earned only on eligible purchases. Bonus points limitations apply.
- Earn points even faster to get more rewards for your business
- One million rewards from over 500 brands
- 24/7 support for everything from identity theft to travel emergencies
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $175
- Introductory annual fee for Additional Gold Cards in the first year is $0; then, $50 for the first Additional Gold Card and no fee for other Additional Cards
- Terms & Restrictions Apply
Business Platinum Card®
Application Link: 25,000 points after spending $5,000 in 3 months.
The Business Platinum Card has no spending bonuses, but it has lots of other benefits, and you could argue that all these benefits are worth the annual fee. In addition, get a 20% refund when you use Membership Rewards® Pay with Points.
- Enroll and select an airline to receive up to $200 annually in statement credits for incidental fees such as checked bags, in–flight refreshments, and change fees
- 20% Travel Bonus when redeeming with Membership Rewards® Pay with Points
- Take advantage of 40 premium benefits and rewards, including 24/7 concierge service and dedicated business consultants
- Complimentary airport club access to 600+ partner lounges, a $950/yr value
- By Invitation Only: Receive exclusive access to events, ideal for entertaining clients or treating staff, worldwide that aren’t available to the general public
- No pre-set spending limit
- $450 annual fee
- Terms and restrictions apply
Offers from Chase
The Ink cards below earn Ultimate Rewards points, which can be combined with a spouse’s account or transferred to partners including United, Hyatt, Marriott, Avios, Priority Club, Korean Air, Southwest, and Amtrak.
Ink Bold® Business Card
Application Link: 50,000 points after spending $5,000 in 3 months.
I love Ink Bold for the 5 points per dollar you earn on telecommunications spend (cable/phone/Internet) and office supply purchases (like Office Depot or Staples). You’ll also get 2 points per dollar on purchases at hotels and gast stations.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.
- No interest charges because it’s a pay in full charge card.
- Earn 5X points per dollar in select business categories.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Direct access to a live service advisor anytime.
- $0 Intro Annual Fee for the first year, then $95.
Ink Plus® Business Card
Application Link: 50,000 points after spending $5,000 in 3 months.
Identical in almost every other way to the traditional Ink Bold, the Ink Plus card allows you to carry a balance and pay over time. The catch? The Ink Bold charge card counts as a different type of account on your credit report, and variety is good.
- Reward yourself with 50,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.
- With Ink Plus, you have the cash flow flexibility with the choice to pay over time or pay in full.
- Earn 5x points per $1 on the first $50,000 spent annually at office supply stores, and on cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV services.
- Earn 2x points per $1 on the first $50,000 spent annually at gas stations and for hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Free employee cards.
- 1:1 point transfer to participating travel programs with no transfer fees.
- Get 20% off travel redemptions when booked through Ultimate Rewards.
Southwest Airlines® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Card
Application Link: 25,000 points (worth $416) after spending $1,000 in 3 months.
Applying for a personal and business card will earn you 100K points, leaving you only 10K short of an annual companion pass valid for paid and award travel. This card has a great bonus, but I believe the Sapphire Preferred is a better choice for long-term spending.
- Receive 25,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.
- Redeem points for International flights, cruises, hotel stays, car rentals, gift cards, and access to exclusive events.
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways purchases made directly with the airlines.
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards Hotel and Car Partner purchases.
- Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Receive 6,000 points after your Cardmember Anniversary every year.
- Earn up to 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List and A-List Preferred status for every $10,000 you spend on the card (maximum of 15,000 Tier Qualifying Points annually).
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Access free business card reporting tools.
- Receive free employee cards.
- $99 annual fee.
Southwest Airlines® Rapid Rewards® Plus Business Card
Application Link: 25,000 points (worth $416) after spending $1,000 in 3 months.
Effectively the same as the Rapid Rewards Premier business card reviewed above, but with a smaller annual fee and a smaller annual retention bonus. If you like using a Southwest credit card, I strongly suggest the Premier version because of the extra points.
- Receive 25,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.
- Redeem points for International flights, cruises, hotel stays, car rentals, gift cards, and access to exclusive events.
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways purchases made directly with the airlines.
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards Hotel and Car Partner purchases.
- Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Receive 3,000 points after your Cardmember Anniversary every year.
- Access free business card reporting tools.
- Receive free employee cards.
- $69 annual fee.
United MileagePlus® Explorer Business Card
Application Link: 30,000 miles after spending $1,000 in 3 months.
Those without elite status will be attracted to priority boarding, faster security, and free checked baggage. Primary rental insurance is also a rare find, and cardholders with elite status are eligible for free domestic upgrades on award tickets.
- 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months of your account opening.
- 10,000 bonus miles every calendar year you spend at least $25,000 on your card.
- Earn 2 miles for each $1 spent on United tickets purchased directly from the airline and 2 miles for each $1 spent at restaurants, gas stations, and office supply stores.
- Earn one mile for every eligible $1 spent
- Your miles don’t expire as long as you are a Cardmember with no limit to the number of miles you earn
- Redeem MileagePlus miles for any seat, any time, on any United flight
- Save up to $100 per roundtrip. Primary cardmembers and one companion on the same reservation can each check their first bag free on United-operated flights when purchasing tickets with their Explorer Card.
- Enjoy priority boarding privileges: Primary cardmembers and their companions on the same reservation will board United-operated flights after Premier members and prior to general boarding.
- $95 annual fee waived the first year.
Marriott Rewards® Business Credit Card
Application Link: 30,000 points after spending $1,000 in 3 months.
This card has significantly reduced benefits and a reduced fee. Personally I don’t see how this card would have long-term value because if you are a Marriott fan, you would be better off with the Marriott Rewards Premier personal card.
- 30,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months from account opening
- 2 free night stays after account approval (Category 1-4 hotels)
- Unlimited Point Accumulation
- 3 points for every $1 spent at over 3,600 Marriott locations
- 1 point for every $1 spent on purchases anywhere else
- 10 Nights Credit toward your next Elite membership level every year after account anniversary
- Earn 1 Elite Night Credit for every $3,000 spent
- Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $45
Offers from US Bank
FlexPerks® Business Travel Rewards Visa Signature®
Application Link: 17,500 points for spending $2,500 in 5 months.
Like the Citi ThankYou points, FlexPoints get their highest value when redeemed for travel. However, awards only give you a ticket value up to a certain dollar amount, meaning if you don’t use that entire amount you are wasting some of the value of your points.
- Get 17,500 bonus FlexPoints after the first $2,500 in net purchases in the first 150 days;
- Award travel starts at just 20,000 FlexPoints (up to a $400 ticket value) on over 150 airlines with no blackout dates or redemption fees;
- Earn one FlexPoint for every $1 of eligible net purchases charged to your card;
- Earn two FlexPoints for every $1 spent gas, office supplies or airline purchases – whichever you spend most on each monthly billing cycle – and on most cell phone expenses;
- Earn Triple FlexPoints for your charitable donations;
- Earn 5,000 FlexPoints when you refer a friend who acquires and uses the card;
- Receive an airline allowance of up to $25 with every award travel ticket to use toward baggage fees, in-flight food or drinks and more;
- $0 Annual Fee* the first year, and every year your company spends $24,000 on card; otherwise $55*
This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through the American Express Affiliate Program.
